Crutch.



S. E. WALTON.

ORU'IOH.

APPLIOATION rum 001.24, 1911.

Patented Aug. 13,1912.

. ('Juvemkoz Jamuel EC Wajfpm SAMUEL E. WALTON, OF MOUNTAINAIR, NEW MEXICO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 24, 1911.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912. Serial No. 656,371.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. WALTON, a citizenof the United States, residing at Mountainair, in the county of Torrance and State of New Mexico, have invented new and useful Improvements in Crutches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in crutches and more particularly to a socket member employed for supporting the legs of a crutch and having an annular shoulder formed within its bore for supporting a housin tube, wherein a series of relatively adjustafile sections are received within the same, and said sections are 'retained in inoperative position by means of a member carried by the socket.

In the drawing, forming a portion of this specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views :Figure 1 is a side view of the crutch showing the same in a closed position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the crutch showing the same in its extended position. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the crutch showing a slightly modified form of the invention.

The crutch comprises a staff 1 which includes the identically constructed side arms 2 which are spaced apart by the intermediate brace 3, the lower vertical socket 4 and the top arm rest 5, the latter being of any suitable well known construction. The arms 2 are provided on their external surfaces with metallic wear plates 6. These plates are provided with passages 7, and as shown, these passages are disposed in line with similar passages 8 in the arms. The passages7 and 8 in one arm are disposed immediately in line with the passages in the opposite arm, and as shown, the arms are provided with removable fastening screws 9 which are interchangeably adjustable in the passages. The grip or handle 10 is ad- 'justable with respect to the arm rest 5, and

as shown, the ends of the grip are provided with nuts or washer plates 11 which are threaded, at 12, to receive the correspondingly threaded portions of the screws 9. This construction is such that any desired adjustment of the handle with'respect to the arm rest can be obtained and the handle and is seated upon an annular shoulder 1' formed within the central bore of the socket. The crutch leg comprises a hollow tube 14 which is slidable in the tube 13 and in the socket 4 and a member 15, the latter being adjustably mounted in the member 14. The

member 14 is provided with a longitudinal series of passages 16 which are interchangeably adjustable with relation to similar passages 17 in the member 15. A set screw 18 is adapted to be extended through a pair of alining passages in the members 14. and 15 so as to hold said members in their adjusted positions. A similar set screw 19 is adjustably mounted in the socket and it is adapted to be extended through a pair of alining passages in the members 14 and 15 to hold the members telescoped within the tube 13. This construction is such that when the crutch is not in use or when it is desired to store the same in stock will occupy a very small compass. The member 15 of the crutch is provided at its lower end with a suitable elastic tip 20.

In the modified form of the crutch shown in Fig. 4, the socket 4 is provided with one or more set screws 21 which may be engaged with the upper leg section of the crutch to hold the same in the tube 13. The socket 4 is also provided with a set screw 22 which is adapted to engage the lower leg section 15 to hold the same in the upper leg section.

I claim:

A crutch, comprising a stafi, including spaced legs, a socket provided with a cylin-, drical bore extending between the legs at the lower end of the crutch and having apertured front and side walls, means passing through the apertured side walls and legs for securing the latter to the socket, an arm rest connecting the legs with each other at their upper ends, a handle disposed between the legs and adjustable with respect to the arm rest, a housing tube extending longitudinally between the legs of the crutch, the lower end of said tube being dis osed in line with the cylindrical bore of said socket and supported upon an annular shoulder means for holding the members within the formed within said annular bore, relatively housing tube. 10 adjustable members in the tube, said relal In testimony whereof I aflix my signature tively adjustable members being provided in presence of two witnesses.

5 with passages adapted for relative inter- SAMUEL E. WALTON.

changeable association, means adapted to be Witnesses: extended through the passages to hold the JAMES P. DUNLAVY,

members in. their extended position, and R. C. SoUTHABo. 

